


Petting

by miera



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-24
Updated: 2010-07-24
Packaged: 2017-10-10 18:37:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/102832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miera/pseuds/miera
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Birthday fic for Aj.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Petting

A few months ago, Elizabeth would've sworn she knew John Sheppard about as well as was humanly possible. Years of living in each other's pockets, going through stress that most people would be hard pressed to even imagine, enduring life and death together - long before they ever approached sleeping together, she _knew_ him.

On an existential level that was probably true, but now that they were sleeping together, there were small details that she was still only just learning. Like the fact that John seemed to like playing with her hair.

She hadn't noticed immediately, because back when they finally capitulated to the inevitable, they'd both been trying so hard to be furtive they hadn't had much time to bask. Now, thanks to Rodney and his big mouth, a good portion of the city knew about the change in their personal relationship, so it was no longer imperative to have sex fast and quiet and then sneak away.

She'd missed this feeling of being lazy. It wasn't something she could indulge in 98% of the time, but post-coital like this, it felt luxurious to doze in bed curled up against John and not move.

He was fully awake, which happened sometimes. Sex usually knocked them both out but once in a while John would get more alert in the afterglow.

Which meant he was playing with her hair.

For someone who freaked out about anything more intimate than a handshake in public, John didn't seem to mind her need to cuddle after sex, but she hadn't expected him to really take an active role in it until the first time she realized he was stroking his fingers through her hair.

She sighed against his skin and smiled. "That feels good."

"Hmm? You mean this?" His thumb brushed against her earlobe and Elizabeth shivered. She felt him huff out a laugh - hard to miss, since she was half-draped over his chest.

In retaliation, she teased him. "I didn't realize you were so fascinated with my hair."

He shrugged a little. "It's prettier now that you let it grow out." Elizabeth blinked. John didn't give her compliments like that very often. Even in bed, he usually came up with flattery that was more, well, _explicit_ than the standard "you're so beautiful" line. The memory of what he'd said a few nights ago in such a situation made her blush.

His fingertips made lazy circles against her scalp and his voice dropped slightly. "I like the way it curls around my fingers."

She felt his body tense a bit. John was still extremely uncomfortable with admissions of that sort, even when they were together like this. She didn't really need him to put his feelings into words. He'd stood by her through things that would've scared off anyone else. He was risking his career and his place in the city to be with her like this. Not that she didn't enjoy hearing these kinds of things occasionally, of course.

"Hunh. I thought you were just trying to help me relax," she mumbled against his neck, wanting to put him at ease again.

"I did that already," he retorted, his hand leaving her hair and skimming along her back. "You get any more relaxed, you're going to slide off the bed."

"Am not."

He pinched her butt in response. Elizabeth blew out a breath just to tease him - his neck was very sensitive - and settled herself more comfortably on top of him. She'd missed this too, the feeling of warm, bare skin against hers, her body wrapped up in a soft sheet and someone else's arms. The bed smelled like them both and John's scent was strong as she lay there with her nose against his collarbone. She felt safe and contented in a way she hadn't felt for a very long time.

Idly, Elizabeth ran her fingers over the dark hair on his chest. The desk lamp was still on across the room, but even in the dim light she could see the signs of gray appearing. "John?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't stop."

She could tell he was smiling even without looking. A minute later his fingers continued to thread through her curls. He kept it up until she fell asleep.


End file.
